Tram

Dozens of people in two tram cars were left hanging hundreds of feet above the city's East River for hours Tuesday when the system lost power because of a mechanical problem. Both cars of the Roosevelt Island Tramway, which shuttles commuters and tourists between Manhattan and nearby Roosevelt Island, stalled about 5:15 p.m., stranding 68 people, said Herb Berman, president of the agency that operates the system. No injuries were reported.

WHY is Spam so maligned? Does it really taste that bad, or are we just conditioned to be leery of processed pork shoulder with ham? Can we not appreciate the simplicity of its manufactured block shape or does that jelly in the can simply creep us out? Ono Hawaiian BBQ is a fast-growing fast-food chain, which now has half a dozen locations in the L.A. area with more on the way.

FROM the bottom of the tramway in Palm Springs, you can't see the top of Mt. San Jacinto. In fact, you can't see farther than the pale rock faces at the foot of this stunningly vertical mountain, about 500 feet above the station. But what you can see is a shortcut to Southern California's second-highest peak. The tram whisks you roughly 8,500 feet up the mountain in just 10 minutes -- avoiding the eight hours it takes to slog up a steep, waterless route that starts in blistering heat.

A new master plan for Griffith Park to be unveiled tonight includes a proposal for two aerial trams that would whisk visitors to mountaintop vistas, including the Griffith Observatory. Also included in the sweeping plan is a landscaped pier on the Los Angeles River, the removal of several old maintenance buildings and replacement of the park's dilapidated public restrooms. The draft master plan is basically a wish list to guide development of Griffith Park over the next 25 years.

Operators of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway tried to find a helicopter to lift a mechanic up Mt. San Jacinto when two tram cars carrying 53 people became stuck, but no private, government or military helicopter could be obtained, the tram's president said. Tram officials said Thursday that they were looking to develop closer ties with local police or military bases in case of a similar emergency, although they said that was highly unlikely.

Two tram cars carrying a total of 53 people hung motionless above the slopes of towering Mount San Jacinto for 4 1/2 hours Monday after a cable tangled and abruptly stopped the ride. A car operator in one of the gondolas was credited with saving the day when he crawled onto the roof and used a knife-like tool to slash a tangled strand of the cable, finally setting the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway back in motion at about 7 p.m.

Three Dana Point planning commissioners--and other city officials who attended the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa's grand-opening gala--have less than two weeks to pay back the full price of admission or make up the difference between that cost and the state gift limit. The California Fair Political Practices Commission said local officials have 30 days from the date of the Aug. 11 bash to make reimbursements.

The Anaheim City Council will consider tonight a five-year agreement for 10 electric buses and two trams to serve the resort area. The city and Anaheim Transportation Network have been working for several years on a unified transportation plan for the Anaheim Resort, which includes the convention center, Disneyland and the new Downtown Disney and California Adventure. In addition to the city-owned fleet, Pacific Coast Sightseeing Tours would operate 25 propane-powered vehicles.

If you are rich, but your legs are weary; if your home is perched high on a hill, but your garage is down below; if you don't feel compelled to climb every mountain, you may have traveled on a rare contraption that most of us have trouble pronouncing. Call them funiculars, hillevators or hillevettes. Call them by their boring, regulatory name: incline elevators.